Broke Magazine’s Fool-Proof Festival Packing Guide

We’ve had our fair share of festival packing failures, from f*cking up our camping equipment *flashes back to collapsing flooded tents* to crappy portable charges and forgetting to bring suncream. We’ve learned the hard way, so you don’t have to, whether you’re a first-time attendee or a festival frequenter, here’s our fool-proof packing guide for 2024…

MOUNTAIN WAREHOUSE – TWO MAN TENT

We’ve come to the conclusion that tents HATE us, from one collapsing in on itself at Gottwood to another flooding at Boomtown (fuck Trespass fr), we’d almost given up but Mountain Warehouse came to the rescue. Anyone who’s carried a pop-up tent to and from festivals will understand how impractical the usual circular design is (and let’s not even touch on collapsing them again), this two-man one comes with a well-designed portable case and tarp bottom so you don’t have to worry about a soggy weekend.

MOUNTAIN WAREHOUSE – LARGE BACKPACK

If you don’t already own one of these it’s an investment that’ll take away the struggle of heading to and from festivals. Sites come with steep hills, uneven terrain and long distances, so the last thing you want is to be dragging a heavy suitcase or shoulder bag. This backpack comes with two front clips (a godsend for avoiding back pain) and is large enough to fit enough essentials for a four-day event.

MOUNTAIN WAREHOUSE – SLEEPING BAG

Sleeping bags are a ballache to carry, between the straggly strings and being bulky as f*ck, if you’re lugging them on top of a tent and backpack you’ll want one with a decent carry case which this one has. It’s easily rollable, comes with a built-in hood and is cosy so you won’t be losing any sleep to the cold (we recommend packing some blankets from your bed through cause as we all know British weather can be BALTIC).

MOUNTAIN WAREHOUSE –ROLL MAT

For any first-timers who haven’t learned this lesson the hard way, don’t be deceived by the difference this thin piece of foam can make when it comes to comfort. If you don’t fancy spending your weekend getting intimate with all the lumps and bumps of the grassy ground, you’ll want to make this a priority. We suggest one with a foil overlay, because if your tent leaks at least you’ll have dry bedding to come back to.

ANKLER – 337 POWER BANK

If there’s one thing we don’t f*ck with, it’s crappy portable chargers. There’s nothing festival goers fear more than running out of juice on day one and since we spend our season getting content for everyone who couldn’t make it, we’ve learned to invest in the best (after falling victim to one too many bad brands *cough* Belkin *cough*). Here’s a charger that’ll last you all weekend and holds a minimum of three full phone charges at a time.

LOOP – EXPERIENCE 2 EARPLUGS & QUIET 2 EARPLUGS

If you haven’t already got a pair of loop earplugs in your life, these are an absolute game changer. Designed to protect your ears from harmful frequencies and excess noise, their Experience 2 model is made for people who wanna stand as close to the speakers as possible and keep the music sounding crisp. As for anyone looking to get some sleep in what will no doubt be a noisy campground, their Quiet 2 version is a must if you want to get some uninterrupted shut-eye.

FABLE ENGLAND – TAROT TALES SCARF, TAROT TALES PYJAMAS, TAROT TALES SLEEP MASK

This trio from Fable England will be with me at every festival this season and here’s why, headscarfs are underrated and an elite way of keeping hair out of your face on a messy one whilst also keeping your festival fit looking sick. As for the pyjamas, they’re made of the SOFTEST material, doubling as an outfit and the sleep mask will save you from nights spent fighting off the harsh glare of festival lights and early morning sun through the thin walls of your tent.

KIPLING – ELMAR SILVER BAG & MINTA MINI BAG

Pro-tip, bring a big and small bag along to save you from getting the whereabouts of your stuff scrambled, en route to the festival and once you’re there. We recommend storing your keys, card, phone and other small essentials in the Minta mini and keeping Kipling’s Elmar bag to hand for carrying around any chargers, snacks and drinks.

FRESH WIPES – BODY WIPES

The idea of a refreshing shower during the festival is lush, the reality however consists of fighting at 6am to secure a spot in the few they have on-site or, if you’re not up at the butt crack of dawn, spending an hour in the heat waiting in line. If you’re looking for an alternative to keep you feeling fresh in the morning or after a messy day, these wipes are the way to go.

ANIMAL – FAST DRYING TOWEL

Speaking of showers (and from experience), drying a towel between days is pretty much an impossible mission. If you’d prefer not to spend your weekend moving a soggy lump of fabric around your tiny tent, sort yourself out with Animal’s fast-drying towel.

ANIMAL – PONCHO

We usually let nature take its course when it comes to rain, cause honestly when you’re surrounded by greenery and sweaty from dancing it’s a welcome refresh. That said, we’ve been promised one of the wettest summers in forty years, so investing in a poncho might be a smart way to go this year and Animal’s discreet black design will go with anything.

SLOGGI – GO ALL ROUND BRALETTE & GO ALL ROUND HIPSTER PANTS

There’s nothing worse than wearing uncomfy underwear at a festival, whether you’re grooving or skanking, the last thing you need is a thing riding up your arse or a too-tight bra, Sloggi’s underwear is without a doubt the comfiest we’ve ever owned which means you can focus on the music.

ALTRUIST – INVISIBLE SUN SPRAY SPF 50, SPF 30 SUNSCREEN, BODY LOTION & HAND REPAIR CREAM

This one’s a given, but if you’re hedging your bets on a cool weekend and are planning to save space when it comes to suncream, reconsider, we’ve been burned by this way of thinking one too many times. If you want to avoid the greasy kind that causes breakouts we recommend ALTRUST’s dermatologist range, designed to take care of your skin whilst protecting it. As for staying moisturised (because between rain, cold-water hand washes and overall festival climate which’ll have your skin and hands feeling dryer than the Sahara) Altruist’s body lotion and hand repair cream have you covered.

KANZEN SKINCARE – FULL DERMA COLLECTION

As far as skincare during festival season goes it’s entirely dependant on how the night ends, for most of us we’ll crawl into bed with makeup and dust still on our face so it’s good to wake up and use something that’s actually decent to restore your skin and avoid having to deal with any post-event break outs. While you might not use it every day it’s worth taking to add a wellness element to the whole experience.

REVOUX – DAILY SUN SHEILD

If you’ve got limited room in a backpack, two-in-ones are the way to go and Revoux’s Daily Sun Shield SPF and moisturiser is the solution to dry skin and a red face.

GINGINGER – APPLE CIDER VINEGAR GEL

It’s important to pick multifunctional products, to save lugging heavier bags than needed and spending ages scrambling through stuff trying to find what you’re looking for. Gingingers Apple Cider Vinegar Gel cures everything you can encounter in a festival environment from foot odour to spots, supporting the skin’s pH tones and naturally exfoliating.

GUDYU – TOOTHPASTE TABS

Another one for saving space, GUDYU’s travel-sized toothpaste tabs are plastic-free and save a full tube taking up space, if you don’t want to bring the whole tin, work out how many you’ll need (one tab=one brush) and put them in with your other toiletries.

BATTLE GREEN – NATURAL DEODORANT BALM, ZERO WASTE TRAVEL BOX, NATURAL DRY SHAMPOO

Staying sustainable during festival season is difficult, between the plastic cups, lack of recycling bins, single-use cutlery and travel minis, if you wanna cut down your waste give Battle Green a browse, selling everything from zero-waste travel boxes to natural deodorants.

DRIP – CANNED WATER

For anyone who isn’t aware, we can’t trust water in the UK now because it’s filled with poop thanks to all the greedy companies that privatised it and don’t give a fuck about destroying people’s health and the environment in one fell swoop. So, if you’re a little apprehensive about filling your bottles from the festival taps this season, Drip’s canned water is a more sustainable way to bring some with you without contributing to the plastic problem and are only £1 each (well worth slipping a couple in your bag).

HAYMAX – LAVENDAR BALM, ALOE VERA BALM, FRANKINCENSE BALM

This is for anyone who struggles with hayfever, if you don’t fancy spending your weekend popping antihistamines every few hours, invest in a HayMax organic balm to rub under your nose, it creates a barrier against allergens and these mini pots fit perfectly in even the smallest of bags (plus they smell banging).

BALMONDS – 100% TEA TREE BALM

Another multi-use product we can’t gass up enough is Balmond’s Tea Tree Balm, packed in a plastic-free, pocket-sized tin, it’s good for chapped lips, sore or dry skin (anywhere on the body), minor cuts, grazes, insect bites, dry eyes, even hay fever symptoms (smear a little around eyes and nose to protect skin and prevent pollen particles reaching the bloodstream).

LUUD – CONDOMS

If you’re planning to get down and dirty with a fellow raver, pack LUUD’s ultra-thin condoms (which are vegan and made with PETA-approved plant-based materials) so you can enjoy safe sex and peace of mind.

TANGLE TEASER – THE ULTIMATE DETANGLER BRUSH

While the price tag on tangle teasers is frankly eye-watering, we have to include them as they’ve saved our hair from some serious matting after a sweaty day seshing in the crowds. If you’re gonna pack any brush to battle that post-rave hair, make it this one.

FHIRST – TASTER PACK

When at a festival you wanna be feeling your best, both physically and mentally, gut health plays a huge role in this and FHIRST’s all-natural living sodas are a great way to maintain this during a heavy weekend whilst switching up the water for something with a little flavour (for anyone experimenting with mind-expanders of the mushroom variety this year, the ginger one is perfect for settling that initial nausea).

IKON – TRAVEL PERFUME GIFT SET

If you don’t fancy trekking a full bottle of your usual perfume with you but can’t stand the smell of cheaper sprays, IKON’s 20ml refillable bottles are ideal (and also vegan). They come in a range of scents and will last you a good three or four events, plus splitting the cost with six of your mates means spending less whilst still smelling so so so good.

NUTRITION GEEKS – ASHWAGHANDA CALM +

As we’ve all probably learned at some point, post-party hangxiety can hit HARD, if you’re after a way to wind down Ashwaghanda is the way to go, it’s a natural relaxant that helps with everything from sleep

ELEMENTS – UT RESCUE

If you can relate to the agro a UTI brings, you’ll know the last place you wanna be dealing with one is in festival portaloos, if you’re planning to play around with any fellow ravers do yourself a favour and stick one of these packs in your bag as a just in case (bc otherwise you might spend a weekend wishing you did).

DIORALYTE

Between festival water and trusting random food trucks, we all run the risk of an icky tummy, trekking to the portaloos multiple times isn’t ideal. Tuck some Dioralyte in your medical kit so if you happen to get unlucky, you can pop one and get back to the party.

to brain function so you can wake up and enjoy day two of the festival without feeling foggy.

BY ELOISE – CLASSIC CAMO & DIAMONDS IN THE SKY SET

Hair ties are an obvious one, but they’re easily lost and can be irritating to wear on your wrist. By Eloise makes scrunchies and bobbles that double as bracelets and are designed to be worn comfortably on the wrist (so you won’t have to worry about keeping track of them).

SPARKLE LIGHTING – SOLAR GLASS PEBBLE & STARBURST SOLAR FAIRY LIGHTS

The first one might seem a little rogue, but there’s method to our madness. Trying to navigate your tent at night with a phone torch ain’t it when working with limited battery and all of your personal belongings buried in bags, this light-up pebble recharges in the sun, illuminates a full space and makes a cute edition to any camping set up. As for the solar fairy lights, there’s nothing better than coming back to a magical atmosphere after leaving the euphoria of the stages and these wrapped around the front or your tent or shared gazebo at camp will really add to the after-party vibes.

ANGELS DARE – COCKTAIL CANS

“Pass the tinnies!” If you’re looking for drinks to get you a little wavy while chilling at camp or something to take with you to the stages (cause let’s face it, festival bars are a rip-off), slip Angels Dare’s taster pack in your bag. At 8% they’re strong enough to get you tipsy without having to splash a tenner and even come in a non-alcoholic option.